Charlie Sheen Mellows Out, Sort of Apologizes for Erratic Behavior

Charlie Sheen knows it will take a lot more than a few words to make up for his dangerous, nutty behavior from the first half of this year.

But the actor swears he's sober these days, telling Matt Lauer in an interview (which will air on The Today Show tomorrow) that he has to "lead by example" going forward and "it's the actions and the behavior that matter" when it comes to proving himself to others.

And the star has taken a couple actual steps in that direction, recently mending fences with ex-wife Brooke Mueller and even paying for her rehab.

“It was like being shot out of a cannon into another cannon and then being just shot out of that one," Sheen says. "It was like from one moment to the next I didn’t know what was going to happen. It was pretty exciting... I don’t believe in fear and defeat is not an option and I had to live by those mottos. Regardless of how I felt."

Is he sorry in any way? Yes. Sort of. Kind of.

"Looking back on it, I don’t think I would trade it, but there are portions of it I would have amended a little bit.”

And what is his state these days? A lot calmer, Sheen says, "a lot mellow." He concludes:

"I’m seeing my kids a lot more... just trying to move forward and prioritize what matters. You know, just really get back in touch with some more reality and some more. It’s what I call the moments inside the moments. I think that’s where the life is, you know, it’s in those quiet moments. It’s not the giant TV deal or the big party or the award or whatever, it’s the memory of your child’s smile at the end of the day that sort of brings that one lonesome tear."

Man, this Sheen is a lot less boring to write about than the other Sheen.